The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015, are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 23, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

When Princess Elen of Ymbria unwillingly arrives at summer camp on a magical horse, she brings three things with her: a talisman, a book of maps and centuries of hostility toward the rival world of Caledon. Her hostility drives much of the book; insults and insensitivities quickly escalate into a feud between Elen and Ria, Caledon’s representative at Rancho Estrella (House of the Star) in Arizona. After several chapters of horse-grooming and Elen’s unremitting resentment, Ria takes a “worldrunner” (a horse that can travel between worlds) and endangers all the pregnant worldrunner mares. The story moves along quickly thanks to high doses of action—the last quarter of the novel is a page-turner—but the plot is thin and the characters’ dialogue is exposition-heavy. Much depends on Elen’s fortuitous eavesdropping and Brennan’s willingness to create loopholes in previously established rules. The concept of the worldroad and Elen’s encounters with the wonderfully imagined Horned King save this from being a hackneyed tale of warring kingdoms and telepathic horses. A fast-paced book for horse lovers and not-yet-sophisticated readers of high fantasy. (Fantasy. 10 & up)

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